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Light, Love, Hope

Light in the Darkness Surrounded by Love with Hope for those in need.

Take Action Tuesday

Vote!

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Today, November 3, 2020, is a very important date as we are urged to go to the polls to vote!  Please, if you are registered to vote, get out there and make your vote count today.

There have been arguments on both sides for and against this candidate or that candidate, but it is coming down to who will serve our Nation the best?  Both parties have things in their past that are less than desirable – but don’t we all?  I’m sure there is none of us here without sin.  There are things we wouldn’t want brought out into the open with the people we associate with today.  Maybe poor decisions were made in the past, but they have become wiser as they have aged and turned from their wicked ways of the past.  That is our hope as the individual is chosen to lead our great country.

We have been praying in our morning meetings at work for this election.  We have also prayed for peace after the results of this election so there aren’t riots in the streets.  My boss is actually on standby right now with the military just in case riots break out in the streets.  How sad is that?  We literally have military on standby at this point in time!!

If there is EVER a time for you to hit your knees and pray for our nation, the time is NOW!!  We should be falling on our faces before the throne of God asking for His guidance on each and every person that lines up at the polls.  We should be praying for every leader that will take office!

There are arguments on both sides.  People blame Trump for not acting faster when the pandemic started, while others are up in arms after learning that Biden has been receiving large chunks of money from China.

Let’s look at what each candidate stands for.  Please also consider their goals once they are in the oval office.

This is not something to take lightly.  It is our responsibility to get out and cast our vote.

May God go with each and every individual today as they select who will lead us … and may GOD be with all of the leaders that are chosen today.

A Blessing In A Box

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Lounging in my plush recliner on a crisp November day, we heard a horn blowing off in the distance.  Realizing that it must be the mail carrier at our security gate, my husband sprang to his feet and headed out the door in his sock feet.  Within a few minutes, he returned holding a brown box in his hands.  I didn’t fully come to realize until later that this item he held in his grip would be a blessing in a box.

This particular Faithbox from Family Christian contained the following items:

a-blessing-in-a-box

As I reached inside to inspect every item which was placed with care, I started to thumb through the Impact Guide.  I soon realized that this box was full of goodies that fulfilled a higher purpose.  Sure, they were to make me feel encouraged upon receiving them, but more importantly, the items were an encouragement in other people’s lives around the globe as well.

Take the light gray and white towel, for instance.  My heart softened as I held the light cotton fabric in my left hand.  With the Impact Guide in my right hand, I read that a group of artisans in Istanbul, Turkey created them on looms.  Immediately my mind went back in time to when my daughters received a loom kit for Christmas and sat around their own looms making pot holders.  These multi-colored pot holders held such special meaning to me back then because they were made by my children’s own hands.  While this memory is dear to my heart, now every time I use this towel, I will silently think of and reflect on the hands of those precious people that made it.

My children have always been fans of bracelets, so they were quick to pick up the brown #Unashamed bracelet.  They will wear it with pride now, especially knowing it was made by people in Haiti.  What I absolutely love is the fact that Haiti Made creates jobs for those who were once in long-term orphan care, as well as unemployed mothers and others in the community.  They are making an impact where it matters most.

Having just said recently that I need to drink more water, this gift box will make it easier as it contained Everly Drink Mix.  This is another item I did not have a problem claiming for myself.  I try to keep a bottle of water on my desk at the office, and this Pomegranate Maqui Berry flavor will definitely make it more appealing throughout the day.  An added bonus is that it does not have any calories, either!   What touches my heart is knowing that a portion of the funds from the sale of this item will be used to supply mothers in rural Zambia with oral rehydration salt mixes.  This is so important as they use it to treat their sick little ones with waterborne diseases, which saves them from dying from dehydration!

Last, but not least, is the Faithbox Carabiner Keychain!  My husband has always been a fan of these types of keychains as they quickly attach to his belt loop for easy retrieval when he needs his keys.  They serve other purposes, too, which my daughter likes because she can attach it to her book bag so she’ll always know where her keys are.

As you can see, every one in my family benefited from this gift box full of items.

My personal favorite, though, is the Everyday Faith book.  It reminds me of a recent visit to Lake Lure, North Carolina with the mountain scene on the front, but the pages within this little book are full of encouragement!  As it speaks of beginning a new adventure, it offers words to encourage you as you take that leap of faith.  As you begin to explore new territory, it provides thought provoking passages to help along the way.  With bible verses for every day of the month, and uplifting messages underneath, it also offers a time of reflection allowing you to write your own thoughts.

I’ve come to realize that this would make the perfect gift.  The holidays are here, so why not consider this for your special loved ones on your list?  What I love is that this could be the gift that keeps on giving meaning that you don’t just get one gift in the mail and that’s it.  While you can certainly choose a one time delivery of Faithbox, there are options to sign up for three months or even a year. As you’re considering what to give those on your list, please seriously consider this precious gift so others will realize the blessing this box will provide for them as well.

While I did receive a complimentary Faithbox from Family Christian, it did not influence my opinion or this review in any way.  I genuinely enjoyed the items, but I realize each Faithbox will contain different items than the ones in my box.  I have full faith that they will bless someone’s heart upon receipt.

 

 

 

My Gratitude Journal

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Earlier in the month I proposed that we should begin writing something good that happened during the day on  a slip of paper and placing it into a gratitude jar. This way, on days that you may be feeling blue, you can take a few out of the jar and read to remind yourself of good times and just how blessed you truly are.  It is also something wonderful to have all year long so that on New Year’s Eve you can take them all out and read back over the year that you had.

I soon realized that not everyone is going to want to have a big jar sitting around on their countertops some where, nor will they want to take the time to cut slips of paper to use for this well-meaning project.

Not wishing for this wonderful idea to be lost, I decided, instead, to take out a brand spanking new notebook with fresh, crisp, clean pages.  THIS would be my gratitude journal!  No, it’s not decorated all fancy with lace, ribbon, or flowers on the cover.  But, that is okay.  It does not lessen the meaning or value of this journal just because my words of appreciation will be placed in this ordinary, everyday notebook.  Maybe it will be appreciated more because it does appear to be a plain notebook on the outside, but once you open the cover, you will soon discover the jewel that was lying underneath.

I decided to test this theory.

I had a few pages of notes written in it already – just a few things for each day that I’d like to remember or that marked something very special for me that I wanted to hold on tight to a little longer.  This gratitude journal allows me to do just that.  But, please know that this journal isn’t solely for me and me alone.  In penning what I have and will write as we go through 2015, I am doing so just as much, if not more so, for my husband and children to have to reflect back on later should they desire to do so.

But back to testing my theory on the plain covered notebook.

When I got home from work, I placed this notebook on the counter with my daily devotional book on top.  This is where I normally store my “stuff” such as my purse, keys, and jewelry when I get home.  It’s a central location so I don’t have to go hunting and looking here or there for my belongings when I go to rush out of the door the next morning if I’m pushed for time.

Well, little did I know that after the supper dishes were done, homework was complete, and bath time was over with little ones tucked as snug as a bug in a rug … my husband wandered into the kitchen where curiosity got the best of him.

Now, did he freely admit he had gone through my notebook?  Ohhhhhh noooooooo!

The next morning I bounced as cheerfully as I possibly could into the kitchen (which is hard for someone that is NOT a morning person – I freely admit!).  I knew that I would find my husband in there, though, sipping on his coffee so that is why I tried so hard to put a smile on my face and greet him cheerfully with a hug and a kiss.  I could have gone in there grumbling and griping about having to get up early for work, but I didn’t.  I made a choice on what attitude I would take – yes, I have spoken a lot about choices, too, this month!

Anyway, back to my point.

We finished with our warm embrace and kissed each other about three or four times in a row (no, we cannot ever just kiss ONE time, it has to be several kisses right there together, which my youngest daughter hates … hahahahah!).  Then I turned to him and asked if he saw my notebook.

He gave me this shy smile as he said, “You know, I did see it sitting there.”

I titled my head to the side as I analyzed him and determined by the look on his face that he had not only seen it “sitting there” but he had opened it up and started reading it!

Playfully I teased him, “You READ my journal!!   Mr. Nosey Himself READ it!!!  You couldn’t stand it, could you?  You just HAD to read it!”

Finally, he smiled wider and said, “Well, it was just sitting there … ” as we both busted out laughing.

I am sitting here writing this with the biggest smile on my face as I remember that morning so well and the playful kidding around I was doing with him.  I honestly did not care that he read my journal because … that is why I left it out just to see if curiosity would kill the cat.  I wanted to see if he could resist this plain notebook, and as it was proven, he could not.  🙂

After the teasing, he admitted that yes, he read my journal, and he said he had tears in his eyes as he read the words I had written … words about him, our family, how much I love them and special highlights of our time together.

That is what I wanted to capture in this journal.  Mission accomplished!

I want this journal to be something that brings my children and husband great comfort in the days ahead.  If something should ever happen to me, and I pray to God that it doesn’t, they will have this journal to reflect back on.  They will read the words of love that I have written in this journal and feel it … What a gift!

I actually started a journal years ago when my daughters were born.  I have a journal specifically for my first born, and I have a journal specifically for my youngest daughter.  These journals are more fancy than the simple little notebook that I’m writing in now, but these journals that I started for them way back when contain their “firsts.”  The things that I want to preserve and hold on to – and when they are older, I will give these journals to them.  I started writing these journals to them so that they would have something to hold on to and remember me by if God should take me home before they got a chance to know me, truly know me, and experience a relationship with me.  Those journals for my girls are preserved within the walls of our fireproof safe now.

The gratitude journal that I started this year is now sitting in my living room on top of my laptop computer next to my chair.  This is where I do all of my writing – from my blog posts – to words of love written on the pages of my journal.

Will you consider starting one today to capture moments you’d like to remember for the year 2015?  Your loved ones will appreciate having this keepsake.

Here’s to long lives and many more memorable moments to come!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Unplug!

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We have now said goodbye to August and hello to September!  With a new month comes a new challenge.  On this Take Action Tuesday, we would like to challenge you to simply unplug.  Yes, that’s right.  In this world filled with all kinds of technology, gadgets, and devices, we are issuing a challenge to unplug!  Turn off those devices.  Don’t just put them on vibrate as they will still be a distraction for you when you’re with friends and family.  Turn it OFF … or better yet, leave it at home!  Now, I know that right there will send some of you into shock at the mere thought of leaving your precious smart phones at … ~gasps of horror~  home!   It CAN be done, and you WILL live to tell about it.  I PROMISE!

Think about how it used to be in ancient history when dinosaurs walked the face of the earth (smile, that one was for my daughter who thinks I’m as old as dirt at times).  There was no such thing as a smart phone back then.  You had no other choice but to play in your cave or entertain yourselves outside being one with nature.

Technology has advanced so much through the years that we have every kind of device you can think of.  There’s the desk top computer, the lap top, the iPad, Nook Color, iPhones, i-Pad minis, i-Pods, etc., etc., etc.  Who needs ALL of those things?!  We certainly think we do, but the world continued to spin around all those years we went without those devices, too!   We were forced to actually be creative and use our imaginations back then when we would play Cowboys and Indians.

How many times have you been in the presence of someone and felt completely alone or ignored by them because they had their cell phones out?  I have been guilty of checking the phone when I hear the “ding” or that special tone that goes off indicating a new text message, email, or Facebook message.  I was really bad about it at one point, but I have since learned to do exactly what I’m asking each of my readers to do – I learned to unplug, to leave that phone at home, or to leave it on the seat of my car as I went off trail riding!  Yes, it’s possible to live without being glued to our smart phones!  I am proof!

One major disadvantage that came along with the smart phones is easy access.  Everyone has such easy access to you that they end up getting mad when they are unable to reach you.  This happens when employers give a smart phone to their employees expecting them to be able to reach the employee at all times – even after hours!   They are expected to keep up with emails and respond immediately, even if that means taking time away from their families.  Sad, but true.  I can understand if you’re on call at your job, but for an employer to say that you don’t work a simple 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. job and that you’re supposed to be readily available at any given hour of the day or night?  That’s ridiculous!   People need and deserve time off and time spent with family without the burden of constantly having to carry their work phones with them.  That is asking a bit much, in my opinion!  People are allowed some down time and vacation time with their families!  Whatever happened to Family First?!

What about friends that have gotten mad when they’ve sent text messages that have seemingly gone ignored when you’ve chosen to put your phone away?  That has just recently happened to my daughter.  She put her phone away this weekend when we were together, and while it was a delight for me to have my daughter’s undivided attention, her friend soon took issue with it and accused my daughter of ignoring her.   A series of heated text messages followed from this person to my daughter, too, which was truly uncalled for!   So for this, I might add letting people know of your intend to unplug so they don’t get mad, or (in the case of some of my friends), concerned and worried when they don’t hear from you on a regular basis as they are used to doing.  (Now, though, my friends know that if they haven’t heard from me, it’s probably because I’m on the back of my horse trail riding some where or out back grooming them.)

With that said, consider accepting our challenge so that you are able to enjoy life simply and peacefully without carrying that smart phone or any other device around that connects you to the world wide web or allows others instant access to you all of the time.  You and your family deserve some time just for yourselves without the outside interruptions that dings, buzzes, and beeps bring.

Pull yourself away from your devices long enough to give the person you’re with your undivided attention.  Something beautiful will happen.  You will actually connect on a deeper level with the person that you’re seated next to, and you will get to know them better by having uninterrupted conversations with them.  They will feel important and close to you!  Relationships will improve!  And opportunities for memory-making-moments will be introduced.

So, give it a try.  Let those you know and love in on what you’re doing, and challenge them to do the same!

Here’s to everyone that wishes to unplug even if it’s just every once in a while.

 

Is There A Thief In Your House?

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I saw a saying on Facebook this week that went something like this:

You would never invite a thief into your house.  So, why would you allow thoughts that steal your joy to make themselves at home in your mind?

That statement makes a very good point, but I thought it needed a little more.  Thus, this blog post was born!

We do it all the time!  You know it’s true as you’re guilty of it yourself.  Intrusive thoughts worm their way into our minds throughout the day.  Some times we can quickly dismiss them when we realize the garbage that is trying to fill our heads.  Other times it is hard to stop obsessing over those same thoughts that just will not go away.

We beat ourselves up over things in the past.  Things that we have no power to change now.  The past is history.  It’s over, except for the memory left behind.  Good or bad, it is up to you whether you allow the good from the situation to remain engraved in your memory or whether you will allow the bad that occurred to overshadow the fun times and good memories.  Which would you rather focus on?  Surely not the bad.  Then why DO we allow those bad thoughts to remain?  Kick them out!  Don’t let them live in your head any more.  They threaten to steal every bit of your joy and happiness.

It sounds silly to even say this, but I’m going to any way.  When an intrusive negative thought just will not go away, command it to do so.  Even if you have to say STOP! out loud – DO IT!   Force those negative thoughts out by the power of that one word and allow good memories to rush in to take their place.  If this doesn’t work, try putting a rubber band around your wrist.  If you find yourself obsessing over a negative thought, something that brought you pain in the past, or a situation that was simply out of your control, pop that rubber band!  Once you feel the sting of it against your wrist, it will bring you back to the present day and make you realize that the pain that thought provided was not just emotional pain and mental anguish, now it is physically causing pain.  This alone should be enough to make you stop hurting yourself with the thoughts that you’re allowing to remain.

Whatever it takes, replace the negatives with positives!  Drive out the negative thoughts with bible verses that you’ve memorized.  Drive out the negative thoughts by reciting a poem.  If that fails, then put on some of your most favorite music and turn it up as loud as you can stand it.  Then sing to it to the top of your lungs.  I promise you that you will feel better afterwards!  But please … don’t put a sad song on repeat.  Find something uplifting that will leave you feeling like you’re ready to soar through the sky afterwards like a beautiful eagle or a butterfly visiting the various different flowers on a bright afternoon.  Let the music lift you higher and take you to your happy place.

So answer truthfully.  Is there a thief in your house?  Consider your head the house that we’re speaking of at this point. Have you allowed negative thoughts to occupy your mind?  Have they strolled through, kicked back on the couch in your mind and put their feet up while they sip coffee, refusing to leave you in peace?  If so, it is time to kick that thief out!  Do not allow them to steal one more happy thought from you.  Do not allow the thief to take one more positive thing from your mind that is the house.  Drive the thief out.

It will take practice, but you can redirect your thinking.  It is possible if you view your brain, mind, or your thoughts as the horse and you as the rider.  That horse likes to be stubborn at times and do what it wants to do.  It wants to go where there is no trail and carry you through briars and bushes, getting you all tangled up along the way.  By the time this horse finishes, you’re battered and bruised.  But, you can take back control at any time.  Pull back on those reins before it’s too late, and redirect this horse.  You are the confident rider taking charge and are back in full control again.

Take action today and no longer allow your thoughts to run away with you.

You CAN do this!

I have faith in you.

 

Focusing On Our Blessings

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Today we are calling you to take action on this Tuesday!  Yesterday we pointed out various different ways that we are so very blessed in this life.  Today I would like you to participate in a little activity. I hope you will join me as we are going to be focusing on our blessings!

Whether you do so in the comment section, in your email to another family member or friend, or if you write it on Facebook, I would like to challenge you to list several things that you are thankful for.   You don’t necessarily have to write them down, but for me, it helps to do so instead of leaving those thoughts in my head.  If I write them down and see them in black and white in front of me, it seems to possess more power.

For the next week, I would like you to focus on these and other things on your list that bring you joy, love, and happiness.  I am asking you to give thanks and to be grateful for the gifts you have been given in this life.  Count your blessings not your troubles or sorrows.  Focus intentionally on things that you truly need to praise God for, and then start doing it!!  That is the key!

Are you ready to accept this challenge?

I am thankful for:

  • My beautiful children that God has given to me.  They are my miracles from above, and I just thank God from the very bottom of my heart for trusting me to care for these precious little ones.  He gave them to me, and my soul danced with delight the day I found out I was pregnant.   I was so in love with you, and my heart leaped with joy and excitement every time I would feel you move and kick inside of me.  There are no words to adequately describe how I felt when my baby girls were placed in my arms for the first time.  Tears of joy filled my eyes and spilled out down my cheek as I looked into your angelic faces.  I counted ten perfect little fingers and ten perfect little toes.  I thank God for my babies.  They are now 17 years old and nine years old at the time of this writing, and my heart cherishes and treasures each and every moment that I have been given with them.   They are the reason I am on this earth.  They are my purpose, and they are my life!  I thank God for my two miracles from above!
  • My parents who gave me the best that they possibly could growing up.  We were not rich by any stretch of the imagination.  What we lacked in money and in material things, we were overflowing with in love, compassion, and care for one another.  My parents raised me with good morals and values.  They taught me to be a responsible and respectable young lady, to be a woman of great character and integrity.  I am thankful for my parents loving me in the good times as well as the bad and for being my rock through the troubled times in my life.  Things haven’t always been easy, but we had each other through it all.  My heart is eternally grateful, and I thank God above for my parents.
  • My husband who I met when we were teenagers.  Although too shy to really connect back then, we thought of each other through the years and destiny brought us back together many years later.  We reconnected and rekindled the spark inside of our hearts for each other.  Although we have struggled through the years as most marriages do, we have realized that the love that we have is something worth fighting for.  We share what most people search their whole lives for and rarely ever find.  It has not always been easy, but it has always been worth it.  It is a love that I will fight for and do everything within my power to ensure lasts.  As God as my witness, I will not rest until I have exhausted every measure to ensure that this man knows how much I love him.   I thank God for putting us back together.
  • My friends.  Oh, the Lord has richly blessed me with friends who are more like family.  They truly are the family that I have chosen for myself.   You are born with family, and then you meet people in this life that you connect with on such a deep level.  They, then, become your family of choice.   I love each and every one of them with a love so deep and so powerful, and I thank God for placing these beautiful souls in my life.   Some friends I have had for 20 years, and I know that they will be by my side no matter what.  We may not always see eye to eye, and there may be things that threaten to pull us apart from time to time.  However, we always come back together.  That is what true friendship is all about.   I thank God that I have a hand full of people in this life that I know are my true friends and love me completely just as I love them.  They are my brothers and sisters of the heart.

This list is just something that came to me right off the top of my head as my fingers floated over the keyboard and words flowed from me onto the post that you’re now reading.   I have many, many blessings in this life.  I am so very thankful to God for all that He has done for me and my family and friends.    He is so good, ladies and gentlemen!  He is so good to us.  He blesses us and continues to pour out His blessings in our lives.  He is worthy to be praised.

Look around you as you start to write your list.  You don’t have to capture everything today.  Just think of a few things that easily come to your mind.  Be sure to thank God for these gifts in your life.

May God continue to pour out His blessings on your life.

Always & Forever,

Shirley

Focusing On Our Blessings

Be True

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In the fallen world that we’re living in, it seems so easy to betray someone.  Without giving it a second thought, people lie, betray, deceive, and cheat on an unsuspecting soul.  Ah, but don’t think that you’ve “gotten one over” on someone because although this trusting and loving soul believed in you and didn’t see this coming, God knows and sees all.

You may think that you were slick and have gotten by this time, or you may even have the “What they don’t know won’t hurt them” type of mentality.  What I’d like you to realize is that you’re only hurting yourself for when the truth finally comes out (and believe me, it will … truth always prevails) you will have lost all of the faith and trust that this person once put into you. Not only that, but you will lose the respect they had for you as well.

Will you be able to hold your head up high then?  Will you be able to look yourself in the mirror every morning with the knowledge that you betrayed the one person that had such faith and trust in you? Will you be able to live with yourself knowing that you betrayed someone that believed in you?

This person that has been so faithful and loyal to you did not deserve to be deceived, and even the act of omission is being deceitful.  When you purposefully withhold information and are not up front with that person, you are betraying and being deceitful.

How would you feel if you were on the receiving end of this?

I’ve been mocked throughout life for being “too gullible.”  Let’s pause for a moment and realize what this very word means:

Gullible – Merriam-Webster Online, www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/

Gullible – easily fooled or cheated; especially : quick to believe something that is not true. Full Definition of GULLIBLE. : easily duped or cheated

So I’m the gullible one.  I’m the one you mock and laugh at when you have purposely set out to fool me or cheat me?   Why is this viewed as a character flaw of mine, yet you’re the one smiling because you’ve easily deceived me? You’ve lied to me and you’re boasting of the fact that you’ve betrayed my trust in you? Honestly tell me, is this something to be proud of?  In my book, it’s not.  Something that I highly respect is when a person is honest with me.   When you show that you’re trustworthy, loyal, honest, and true – that is when you can brag and smile proudly – when you show me that you’re a man or woman of integrity and of good character.

Don’t laugh at me for being “gullible” or pity me for being so naive.  I don’t deserve being laughed at, mocked, or pitied for being an honest person expecting to interact with other honest people in this world.

Let’s look at the word naive for a moment, shall we:

Naive – Merriam-Webster Online, www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/

naive – having or showing a lack of experience or knowledge : innocent or simple

I don’t lack experience or knowledge.  I’ve been around the block quite a few times and endured a lot of heartache and pain in my lifetime.  I’ve been betrayed more times than I care to remember, yet I still choose to see the good in people.   I am not lacking anything … I’m simply choosing to love and believe that there is good in every one that I meet.  Some will abuse it.  Some will try to use it to their advantage.  The innocent or simple girl that is so easily deceived.  Oh yes, that’s something to be proud of – that I am an honest person and expect honesty in return.  It’s not a flaw in my character that I’m so trusting.

The next time you think of betraying someone, stop and ask yourself how you would feel if someone did this to you.  Consider the hurt you’d feel if you heard someone talking about you behind your back when you trusted with all of your heart to find that the person simply wasn’t trustworthy after all.

Think before you speak, before you act, and before you betray another innocent and unsuspecting soul.   Even if they don’t ever realize what you’ve done, God sees all.

Take action on this Tuesday and right a wrong!  If you have wronged someone in ANY of the above ways mentioned above, make it right today.  Fall on your knees and beg forgiveness from God for betraying a friend, family member or loved one, and then go to that person and beg forgiveness as well.  Confess what you’ve done and vow never to knowingly and willingly lie, deceive, betray or cheat them or another person again.   Be a person of good character.  Be a respectable person of integrity.  Have good morals and values about you.  Be loyal.  Be true!

Be The Change

Choosing Gratitude

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Many months ago, I purchased a book entitled “Choosing Gratitude ~Your Journey To Joy.”   That book has sat below my coffee table in my living room just waiting for me to fling open the cover and dive in, to allow the message to soak into my being and bring about a greater awareness of how we all need to have more gratitude in our lives.

I have tried to be more intentional and purposeful in my way of thinking.  Likewise, I have tried to be careful of the words I allow to come out of my mouth.   If I begin to think negative thoughts, I try to stop myself and redirect my thinking to something more positive.  Is this always easy?  NO!  It’s not, especially if you are going through a very difficult time in your life.   When you’re struggling, that is when you need to find gratitude and joy even more so than ever before.  That is the hard part.  How can you find gratitude and joy in the mist of a storm?   Well, I’m here to tell you that as bad as it may be, it could always be worse.  Count your blessings and consider yourself so incredibly blessed because you do not own all of the problems in the world!    Yes, you may have it bad, but there is someone out there that has it worse.  I’m not trying to minimize your pain or your suffering.  I’m not trying to say that what you’re going through isn’t important because it IS!   What I’m trying to get my readers and myself to realize is that there is always something to be thankful for.

Immediately upon picking up this book and reading the Foreword, I had a new found appreciation for the author of this book.  When I purchased this book I did not know that Author Nancy Leigh DeMoss had been in a wheelchair the majority of her life.   If she can be grateful for her quadriplegia (as she states in the Foreword), what in the world is our problem?   We  have it so good, and yet we complain so much!   This lady has to have people do everything for her; help into and out of bed, getting her dressed, brushing her hair, brushing her teeth, blowing her nose, etc.  And yet, she finds beauty in ashes.  She finds something good to smile about and offer praises to God above with a grateful heart.

We are so blessed, ladies and gentlemen!  We truly are!  And what do we do with the gifts we have been given?   Life is not all doom and gloom, but yet the majority of our time is spent focusing on negative thoughts.  We vent to others, and instead of it making us feel better, we feel worse by having re-lived those moments and things that pained us right when it happened.   Now we walk around in a bad frame of mind with the corner of our mouths pulled downward in a frown with our foreheads wrinkled because we’re mad at the world.   At that moment especially, search your heart for the good – because there is always good – search your heart for something that you can be thankful for – because there is always something to be thankful for.  Look up to Heaven and thank God that as bad as it seems right now, it’s not any worse!    Thank Him for the plan He has for your life because He assures us in His word that He does not have plans to harm us but to give us hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11 is one of my favorite bible verses and is the “hope” part of our name:  Light Love Hope).

The below poem was within the first few pages of the book, even before the Foreword.  Read it and allow it to speak to you:

Gratefulnesse

Thou that has given so much to me,

Give me one thing more — a grateful heart …

… I cry, and cry again:

And in a quiet canst Thou be,

Till I a thankful heart obtain

Of thee.

Not thankful when it pleases me,

As if Thy blessings had spare days;

But such a heart, whose pulse may be

Thy praise.

~George Herbert (1593 – 1633)

There’s a beautiful flower on the front cover of her book.    She’s unable to plant a garden or even walk through a meadow filled with wildflowers.   Yet, I can imagine that she still appreciates the beauty of the flowers and the Creator of all things.   So then should we!

Will you take this journey with me?  Will you join me in being more intentional on choosing gratitude on our journey to finding joy?

Choosing Gratitude

Take Action Tuesday

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Today I’d like to call each of our readers to action in what I’m calling Take Action Tuesdays.  What I’m asking is in line with the Random Act of Kindness (RAK) that Gregory, aka The Quiet Computer Guy, mentions on Wednesdays.  Now instead of merely suggesting that you do a RAK, I’m insisting that you take action in some way today to show love and kindness to others.   As Greg has mentioned in previous posts he has shared on Wednesdays, it doesn’t have to be anything big – simply opening the door for someone or holding it open for the next person to go through is a small gesture that could brighten someone’s day.   Or, what about smiling intently at someone that looks as if they’re having a really bad day.  Just smile and let that smile linger to pierce their heart and leave a lasting impression on them the rest of the day.   Saying something nice to someone can go a long way, too.  If you see someone that looks as if they are struggling, give them a genuine compliment from your heart to theirs.

The point today is just to take action on this Tuesday.  Do something for someone without any thought of being repaid in any way, shape, or form.  Do it just because it’s in your heart to do for others.  Do it with the intention of brightening up someone else’s day.

If you have someone that you have been thinking of that you haven’t reached out to in a while, do it today.  Let them know you’re thinking of them.   You don’t have to have a lengthy conversation with them, just a simple “Thinking of you” will do.  If you’d like to go into more detail, then by all means, do!

As I think about the “good ole days,” I recall the times when I’d take a letter out of the mailbox and allow my fingers to feel the different textures of the paper while visualizing the person sitting at their desk writing as carefully as they could to leave a lasting impression with their penmanship.   It felt good to receive a hand written letter back then.  Now with texts and emails, it’s rare to get a hand written letter.   How about taking the time to write to someone today?   Go ahead, you know you can find some paper and a pen … now use it!   Pour yourself into what you’re writing, and imagine how your words will leap off of the page and touch the heart of the recipient!

If there is someone that you may have wronged in the past that you need to ask forgiveness of, why not take action now toward a possible reconciliation?   You may not have control of how the other person will perceive your apology or the intentions behind such, but what you do have control of is yourself and how you can reach out to them at this time.   All you can do is apologize and ask for forgiveness, and it will be up to the other person if they will grant this forgiveness.   If you sincerely apologize and mean it with your whole heart, hopefully the other person will feel it and will give your apology serious thought.    It is our hope that they will accept your apology and the relationship can be mended.  It may not be exactly like it was before whatever took place to cause the falling out between you, but it simply won’t get any better if you refuse to address it.   Take action and reach out to ask for forgiveness.

We want to encourage you to take some form of action today toward a better life, a better you, a better bond in your relationships.   If your prayer life hasn’t been what it should have been all of this time, take action by being intentional with your prayers and reaching out to God.  Don’t just go to Him when you’re in trouble.  He’s there and wants you to seek Him even when the sun is shining brightly in your life.

Take Action Tuesday is brought to you by the Encouragement Team at Light Love Hope.